Pair of horse racing bills signed by Christie

One permits wagers to be placed at racetracks or casino simulcasting facilities in advance for races not simulcast at the facility if the race is simulcast at other facilities in the state. Another allows standardbred permit holders at the Meadowlands Racetrack and Freehold Raceway to shorten the season to a minimum of 75 dates. That’s down from 141 at the Meadowlands and 168 at Freehold.

The laws are the latest in a series enacted by New Jersey lawmakers responding to Christie’s directive that horse racing be forced to become a self-sustaining entity that does not receive any government subsidies.